, 1887-01-01

night, and I knew that in these tropical
soEitudes there was no twilight.
saw no cultivated fields, no houses. no
signs Of the hacienda OF Don FRAN
cisco MCndoz. The situation W. grow
ing serious. Occasionally a stone weigh
ing ii pound or two as hurled at mi from
soIac lcafy covert and hen the gigantic
monkey would give a horrible laugh and
scainper away. He was n funny looking
chap Ia my blue flannel coat, but | wa
too UNad TO enjoy the comic aspect of tho
matter. II struck me hat If the brute
caught me in tho dark he would make an
end of me in no time. 1t was both horri-
bic and humilinting, such a death in the
tangled forests of this savage land. Just
then | saw Il short distance of in II clear
ing n square adobe hut. Here was shell
ter and protection
was not much disappointed to find the
hut unlnhabited. 1t was strongly built.
with no windows and one entrance from
which the door had long since rotted away.
\ step ladder led to a loft. Ascending /
found u small apartment dimly lighted
by round holes in the wall which had evil
IDENTIFY BEEN used by sharpshooters at some
revolutionary period in the history of the
country. My mind was made up in an
instant. | went back to my mustang and
pickcted him about u hundred yards from
the hut in the bushes. Then | returned
TO my fortress just MS darkness closed in
upon me and sought refuge in the loft,
pulling up the ladder after me. | was
safe here, even from the monkey, n l
lay dow feeling II sense Of perfect
security.
II must have been late in the night when
| heard something moving in the room
under me. Looking through the opening
In the ilOor | could see nothing! lstruck
IL match and by the Pickering flame recog'
nizcl the monkey. The wretch still wore
my coat, and in the dim, uncertain light
his appearance was more repulsiye than
ever. I lag down again, knowing that
the beast could not get into the loft. and
commenced planning for his destruction
in the morning. ! was satisfied that the
animal belonged to II species of mountain
apes, of great strength and terrible
f%crocity. Their cunning | had heard was
almost human, and they did not scruple
to attack men and end them limb from
limb. / concluded when the morning
light appeared to draw the brute's atten-
ton and shoot him in one of the eyes.
y Having settledon this plan, | was about
dropping into II doze when heard voices
outside the hut. / listened with alert
ears
If, as you say, Pedro, that this Ameri-
can devil is inside, we should ambush him
aud shoot linn when he comes out in the
morning.
Now. by all the saints, Juan, was
the reply Of Pedro, ''you are II cowardly
fool The American devil, like all his
devils of countrylien, has his eyes open
and may get the drop on us.
understood il all. l recognized the
voices Pedro and Juan had followed me
all The way from Jackson s camp.
What TO do was the question, 1t was
hard To decide, and | waited further de-
velopments.
The two robbers conversed in low wills
pcrs, and all l could hear was their final
agreement to rush in and o%verpower me.
Wonder what they Will do with the
monkey I said to myself, with Il chuckle.
81 hear the American moving, said
Pedro.
1t was the monkey. The monster was
walking in II circle all the time, and the
dead leaves that had drifted into the hut
rustled under his feet.
There was another whispered consulta-
tion aud the Mcxicans rushed into the
room below.
The outlaws SAW n huge dark form and
made charge with their long, murderous
knives.
heard two dull thuds and knew that
Pedro and Juan had been dashed head
long against the walls.
'Aiother of Jesus!' gasped Juan,
"knife him You son If Satanl'
"FoolH' cried Pedro, 'knife him your
SELF
The robbers made another rush.
Thousand devilsr' yelled Pedro,
where are you, Juan3 This hog of nm
American has me by the throat and 1
hive lost my knife"
lie is IL demon groaned Juan; he Is
pounding my head against the WALTZ
\ ,olley of oaths followed and then 1,
chorus of groans. Through 1t all | heard
the ominous dull thud. At length silenc
prevailed and | knew that all was over.
My last match was gone but To my
great delight IL was nearly morning
With the first rays of daylight | peered
through the hole in the floor.
1t was a CHASTITY sight that met my gaze.
Tho Two Mexicans lay on the floor quite
dead. Their heads had been mashed to a
jelly against the adobe walls and their
thronts bore II dark blue mark
Sitting in the corner was the monkey
He was bleeding p%rofusely and was evi.
IDENTITY seriously hurs At first | thought
that / would spare him. He had saved
my life and / felt grateful. But when |
liked the ladder and descended the UNI
tameable beast prepared himself for u
spring and there was such evident malice
in his eyes that | drew II bead and fired
one shot did the work. He rolled over
dead
II wa, No place for me after such an adj
venture, and | at once went in scnfch Of
my mustang. To my great joy d., iaith-
full steed WAS all right mud / wits soon in